An Interview with The Get Right Band

Hey folks! We’re The Get Right Band, a funk/rock/reggae trio based in Asheville, NC. We’re coming to Charleston soon to play both locations of Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ… Feb 21 is West Ashley and Feb 22 in Sullivan’s Island. You can check out our music and videos atwww.thegetrightband.com. We’re launching a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to record our first full-length studio album. If you’re interested in supporting the project or seeing what all of the great incentives for our backers are, please visitwww.kickstarter.com and search for The Get Right Band.

Where did you all meet? What inspired you to all to come together and rock out?

Silas (guitar/vocals): Jesse (our bassist) and I actually met in middle school and started playing together then. So we’ve been at this for a long time. I was playing with a drummer at the time and we needed a bassist. I saw Jesse’s band playing at some school event. I went up to him afterwards and told him that my band was better than his band and that he should leave his band and join mine. And he did

We put The Get Right Band together in 2011 with a drummer named Chris Pyle (son of legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle). We wanted to do a project that really had a party vibe… bringing together elements of rock, funk, and reggae to make an unstoppable dance machine. So that’s what we did! When Chris left the band a few months ago to spend more time with his son, we brought on Jian-Claude Mears. Jian-Claude is a force behind the drums and has brought a whole new energy to the group.

Jesse: Serendipity really brought this band together. Silas and I met as teenagers in a small town determined to rock. A decade later the Get Right Band was formed when Silas coerced me to move to Asheville and be in a band with him. Jian-Claude is a blessing and the only drummer that could have replaced the hole Christopher Chappell Pyle left in our rhythm and our hearts.

How do each of you contribute to the general vibe of the band?

Silas: I’m the primary songwriter in the band, which obviously steers the vibe of the group pretty heavily. But I also write songs that highlight the strengths of the players in the band, so in that sense, my writing is definitely influenced by my band mates. Jesse is a rock solid bassist… he knows how to balance holding down the groove and keeping it simple with moments of virtuosic playing. He brings a ton of energy to the live show, but he also brings a very laid back vibe to the band off stage. Jian-Claude is similar, in that he really rocks hard on stage and is very dynamic, but he’s very chill in his regular life. It’s been great watching him become part of this band. He brings a very tight drum sound, very funk and hip-hop flavored. He’s done an amazing job stepping in and figuring out how to do what’s right for the songs and putting his own style on things.

Jesse: Silas is in charge of rock and roll and law and order, Jesse is responsible for the funk and undergarments, and Jian-Claude keeps the party moving to the next level.

Tell me how rock legends from the past or present impact your creative process. Who are your inspirations? Who are the people you’ve been rockin’ out to since the dawn of time? Any unusual or unexpected inspirations?

Silas: Other musicians are definitely my primary source of inspiration. My all-time favorites are The Beatles, Zeppelin, Hendrix, Sublime, The Grateful Dead, Bob Marley… gosh, the list could go on and on. Some of my more recent favorites are The Black Keys, The Wood Brothers, and Alabama Shakes. I’ve learned so much from these acts. The Black Keys and The Wood Brothers have taught me so much about songwriting and especially lyrics. Of course The Beatles and Zeppelin have recorded some of the greatest albums of all time… there’s so much to learn from everything they ever did.

I also draw a lot of influence from a spoken word poet named Rives. I would actually say that he’s my primary lyrical influence. For me, he really strikes a perfect balance of beauty and depth with irreverence and humor. He can very casually say something very profound, or very elegantly say something very simple. Check him out on YouTube.

Jesse: My loves are Les Claypool, Flea, Stanley Clarke, you know, the usual. Jaco Pastorius is obviously a huge influence as I play the fretless bass. I love listening to music that isn’t necessarily The Get Right Band style of music and try to keep it fresh. Right now my top two genres I listen to are hip-hop and jazz.

Any remarkable stories from tours or gigs that you all would like to share?

Silas: We just got back from our yearly tour of the US Virgin Islands. On our first day there, we walked out of the hotel to head to the gig and saw that the windshield of our rental car had been smashed. Of course we hadn’t taken out the insurance on it, so that made for a good learning experience. Our tours in the Virgin Islands are pretty amazing adventures. It’s a great way to pack in all of our favorite thing. We spend all day enjoying the natural beauty–hiking, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking–and all night playing music. For two weeks!

What are your pre-gig fuel choices? Anything in particular that any of you have to eat or do before a show?

Silas: I always like sushi before a big gig. With avocado and cream cheese. Mmmmmm. Other than that, not too much. It’s always nice to spend the day soaking up the beauty in the world… that really gives us inspiration for the show come nighttime. When we play in Charleston, we always head out to Folly Beach or Angel Oak or somewhere like that. It helps us get in the right head place to pour ourselves into the music.

Jesse: Tasty and delicious vegetarian cuisine!

How have the last few gigs gone? Where have you been playing?

Silas: Every gig with The Get Right Band is great because we always have fun playing together. No matter where we’re playing and no matter who shows up, the three of us have a hell of a good time rocking out. Last weekend we had a couple of great shows playing in Winston-Salem and then at Queens University in Charlotte. Both shows were really fun, great crowds.

Anything you’re excited about for the future? Any plans or goals? Shooting stars, if you will?

Silas: Yes! We are about to record our first full-length studio album and we are incredibly excited about it!! We’re also about to launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to record the CD. Fan-funded music (which is what Kickstarter is) has basically become the new business model to make independent music possible. We’re no longer stuck in the record label model of the past several decades. If anyone out there reading this is interested in contributing, please head to our website, www.thegetrightband.com, or go to www.kickstarter.com and search for The Get Right Band. We’ve got a lot of great incentives up there for people who decide to back us, so go check it out! Please and thank you

Beyond this next album, our primary goal is total world domination… musically speaking. The sky’s the limit. This band means the world to us and we’re giving it everything we’ve got. I’m excited to see where the journey takes us.

Jesse: Playing with this band is a precious blessing. My main goal for this band other than what Silas said is to focus solely on making good music that we enjoy and brings joy to others as well.

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